Author Archives: MakS
Posts by MakS
Future Conference Takeaway
My group and I went on Sunday. I liked that all the groups presented in my session had different ideas on what sustainability looks like. Some were very detailed and informative. For example, one of the groups presented a case study on Amazon’s HQ situation in NYC and another presented their solution on the housing crisis. One of the groups presented yoga as a solution for mental health and we did a short breathing exercise, which was cool but little weird. My favorite part was the ending reflection/discussion when things got little heated over the whole Amazon Headquarter case in NYC. It was an interesting experience to hear opinions on the issue from students from a tech background vs. students from liberal arts background.
Who building this buildings?
I was on my way to an indoor rock climbing gym in between Hell’s Kitchen and Upper West Side. To my surprise, I came across lots of weird looking, yet aesthetic enough skyscrapers. Growing up, I am mostly used to seeing ordinary vertical skyscrapers, but developers are getting creative with the designs nowadays. We’ve seen one near Baruch as well, across the 17th Lex Building. I wonder besides the aesthetic part and trying to come off as futuristic, are there any environment benefits coming from these developments?
Hidden Gem
This picture was taken during my visit to the New York Public Library. While it’s not a walking distance from Baruch College, this Library is aesthetically pleasing and has variety of study places. I was glad to visit the place because it made me think of all the free resources New York City offers us that we tend to take for granted or not utilize them at all.
Office Visit
This was my first time seeing the Hudson Yards development project. I visited Facebook’s office in Manhattan and took this picture on the 19th floor. My favorite part was visiting the small outdoor space they have in the middle of 19th floor. It happened to be a perfect place to get some work done because of the beautiful we are having lately. What features stood out to you guys when you visited corporate offices in the city?
“Showtimeee!”
Above is a picture of an artist entertaining a crowd in a rainy Friday. I honestly prefer people doing Showtime this way than randomly playing something at 8:30 AM when everyone just trying to start their day calmly. What do you guys think? Would you rather enjoy showtime while on the ride or in stations like they do it in Union Square?
Cohen Takeaway
Although every time I enter NYC gallery posts tab and see trash pictures, NYC has been implementing sustainable initiatives for a while, such as Highline Park and Zero Waste initiative. I think in the United States, environmental consciousness needs to developed outside of progressive cities and that’s hard to do so with our current political climate. But, we will definitely see more trends and development of sustainable transportation and smart parks in cities.
Makinoon Sami: Cohen Presentation
Outsiders
When most people think of NYC, they think about high rise buildings in Manhattan and nasty subways. I think this city has much more to offer, especially in the rest of the boroughs. I have been a Queens native for about 8 years and attached above is a picture of one of my favorite spots in Queens – Flushing Meadows Park. This park offers so much variety – basketball courts, soccer fields, picnic spots, area for summer water balloon fights. This area is also the home of The Mets. I often recommend this place to my friends when they are thinking of visiting Queens for the first time. What’s your favorite part of the city located outside Manhattan?
Weird New York
First picture is of Union Square park in the rain. Second picture is something I recently saw on Facebook regarding the weather in March in New York City and it’s actually funny because we can never predict how the weather will be each week regardless of the season we are in. I don’t know if you guys remember, but few years ago, we had Christmas in 70 degrees!
Hudson Yards Hype
The rise of Hudson Yards seems interesting to follow. It’s a real estate development project with a “smart city” focus. My friends and I are planning to check it out this week. If any of you have already seen it, feel free to share your insights on it.
Comments by MakS
"I agree busy stations like this need renovations to help commuters get to their destinations on time. But, what you think about the new 2nd Avenue Q train stations that were developed in 2017? They are huge, but I personally feel like they should've not used the entire $4.45 billion on them and could've used the portion of the budget on improving busier subways and train lines."
--( posted on Apr 7, 2019, commenting on the post
A New and Cleaner Penn Station )
"I would say it would be better to implement punishments or fines instead of providing incentives. People usually don't go out of their ways for a small incentive but they want to avoid punishments and fines. It doesn't have to be as specific as fining someone for not recycling. It could be something small like that if somebody throws trash in the subway, they get a $20 fine. This will really make the person think twice before throwing out their trash because I wouldn't want to pay 20 dollars for a small plastic bag or bottle."
--( posted on Mar 17, 2019, commenting on the post
Pathetic Recycling Bin )
"I understand your point on buying small trees to store it at home - many do that for aesthetically pleasing instagram pictures. But, what do you mean by fighting industrialization? We need factories to manufacture the goods we consume. I do think there should be more community oriented volunteer programs to motivate people to plant trees and take care of their surroundings."
--( posted on Mar 9, 2019, commenting on the post
Air-Purifying Machine )
"I was thinking of this as well, the other day I saw a couple of people going jogging in Manhattan. If you really want the exercise, why not shovel the snow, am I right?"
--( posted on Mar 3, 2019, commenting on the post
Isn’t snow supposed to be white? )
